Patents by Inventor David Ferguson

David Ferguson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10730871
    Abstract: The invention provides compounds of formula I: wherein R1-R3, Ra, and Rb have any of the values defined herein, and salts thereof. The compounds have immunomodulatory properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
    Inventor: David Ferguson
  • Patent number: 10732629
    Abstract: A system for fulfilling peer-to-peer transactions by autonomous robot vehicles includes processor(s) and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor(s), cause the system to: receive information on a peer-to-peer transaction between a seller and a buyer for an item, communicate instructions to an autonomous vehicle to travel to a first destination and receive the item, receive an indication that the item has been received, communicate instructions to the autonomous vehicle to travel to a second destination to deliver the item to the buyer, receive a signal indicating that buyer funds are in escrow, and receive a signal indicating that the item is accepted or rejected by the buyer. In a case where the item is accepted, the system communicates a release of the funds from the escrow to the seller. In a case the item is rejected, the system determines a handling itinerary for the item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Nuro, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Cosimo Leipold
  • Patent number: 10719805
    Abstract: A system for a mobile secure locker in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes processor(s) and memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor(s), cause the system to provide a user interface for a user to rent a mobile secure locker in an autonomous robot vehicle, receive information through the user interface from the user where the information includes a first destination, a second destination, and a time associated with the second destination, communicate instructions to the autonomous robot vehicle to travel to the first destination to receive the item, receive an indication from the autonomous robot vehicle that the item has been received, communicate instructions to the autonomous robot vehicle to travel to the second destination to deliver the item to the user at the time associated with the second destination, and receive from the autonomous robot vehicle an indication the item is retrieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Nuro, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Nan Ransohoff
  • Patent number: 10719078
    Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a land vehicle conveyance system, a communication system configured to communicate with a remote human operator system, one or more processors, and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor(s), cause the autonomous robot vehicle to receive via the communication system control instructions from the remote human operator system for controlling the land vehicle conveyance system, control the land vehicle conveyance system in accordance with the control instructions to perform travel, and autonomously control the land vehicle conveyance system in coordination with the control instructions from the remote human operator system to semi-autonomously perform travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Nuro, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Yi Shen
  • Patent number: 10710579
    Abstract: In some implementations, an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle is capable of using a collision prediction system to determine a confidence that any objects detected within a vicinity of the vehicle are on a trajectory that will collide with the vehicle. Laser obstacle points derived from recent sensor readings of one or more sensors of a vehicle are initially obtained. The laser obstacle points are projected into a pose coordinate system to generate an occupancy grid of a vicinity of the vehicle. A confidence that any objects represented by the laser obstacle points are on a trajectory that will collide with the vehicle is determined by applying a particle filter to the occupancy grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Wan-Yen Lo, Abhijit Ogale, David Ferguson
  • Publication number: 20200201345
    Abstract: Provided herein is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of electric autonomous vehicle for apportioned display of a media, operating autonomously and a fleet management module for coordination of the autonomous vehicle fleet. Each autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle comprising a screen configured to display the media. Activation, deactivation, brightness modification, in combination with specific media selection enables more efficient media display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: Nuro, Inc.
    Inventors: David FERGUSON, Jiajun ZHU, Pichayut JIRAPINYO, Cosimo LEIPOLD
  • Publication number: 20200152325
    Abstract: Systems, methods, beds, supports surfaces and machine readable medium for associating beds and support surface of a healthcare facility are disclosed. A surface association system for a healthcare facility may comprise a plurality of beds. The system may further comprise a computing device and a plurality of support surfaces to be placed upon beds of the plurality of beds. The computing device may associate a support surface of the plurality of support surfaces with a bed of the plurality of beds. The computing device may make the association based upon status data received from the plurality of beds and the plurality of support surfaces. The support surface and/or bed to be associated may initiate a surface association request. The computing device, in response to the surface association request, may request performance of one or more actions on the bed and/or support surface to be associated to identify the bed and/or support surface from the beds and support surfaces of the healthcare facility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Craig A. McNeely, Carl W. Riley, Keith A. Huster, Irvin J. Vanderpohl, III, Patricia A. Glidewell, David Ferguson, Simeon Zhao, Daleep Bhatia
  • Publication number: 20200150674
    Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a land vehicle conveyance system, a sensor system configured to capture information including surrounding environment information and/or vehicle subsystem information, a communication system configured to communicate with a remote human operator management system, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor(s), cause the autonomous robot land vehicle to, autonomously, determine based on the captured information to request a remote human operator, and communicate a request to the remote human operator management system for a remote human operator to assume control of the land vehicle conveyance system, where the request includes at least a portion of the captured information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Yi Shen, Calvin Giroud, Qunyan Pu
  • Patent number: 10614467
    Abstract: A social networking system displays information about a user via a timeline included in a profile page. Narrative data about a user stored in a social networking system, including data about the user and social network activities related to the user is accessed. Timeline units summarizing information about the user are generated from the narrative data. When a viewing user requests a profile page, timeline units are displayed based information related to the viewing user and interactions with the profile page by other users connected to the viewing user. Users that administer the profile page are presented with additional information when viewing the profile page, allowing the administering users to modify appearance of the timeline or to identify actions for an administering user to take to increase interaction with the profile page.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Blaise Andrew DiPersia, Jeffrey Andrew Kanter, Russell Eric Heddleston, David Ferguson, Thomas Giovanni Carriero
  • Patent number: 10603542
    Abstract: Adapter devices that adapt hand exercise devices to permit the use thereof by persons of widely variable hand size, and permit the use thereof in exercises or tests other than the isometric exercises and tests for which they are known. The adapters provide replacement grips and couple force applied to those replacement grips to the handgrip surfaces of the hand exercise device. One version of the adapter includes a piston and cylinder connected to the replacement grips that move in a range of motion during a hand exercise or test, to allow for isotonic, isokinetic or isodynamic hand exercises. Other versions of the adapter use removable cams, screw cams, rotary cams, and sliding cams to adjust the distance between the grips for the size of the user's hand. A further adapter provides replacement grip surfaces sized for a user's finger and thumb for performing a pinch exercise or test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: MD Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Smyser, David Ferguson, Thomas VanFossen
  • Patent number: 10599156
    Abstract: Provided herein is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of electric autonomous vehicle for apportioned display of a media, operating autonomously and a fleet management module for coordination of the autonomous vehicle fleet. Each autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle comprising a screen configured to display the media. Activation, deactivation, brightness modification, in combination with specific media selection enables more efficient media display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Nuro, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Cosimo Leipold
  • Patent number: 10583803
    Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a land vehicle conveyance system, a sensor system configured to capture information including surrounding environment information and/or vehicle subsystem information, a communication system configured to communicate with a remote human operator management system, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor(s), cause the autonomous robot land vehicle to, autonomously, determine based on the captured information to request a remote human operator, and communicate a request to the remote human operator management system for a remote human operator to assume control of the land vehicle conveyance system, where the request includes at least a portion of the captured information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Nuro, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Yi Shen, Calvin Giroud, Qunyan Pu
  • Publication number: 20200062214
    Abstract: According to one aspect, a platform for providing at least one item to a customer is disclosed. The platform includes an autonomous, semi-autonomous, or fully autonomous vehicle that includes at least one compartment configured to contain a first item ordered by the customer and to contain a second item not ordered by the customer. The platform further includes an application including an ordering module configured to obtain an order from the customer that includes the first item, and a release detection module configured to determine when the first item has been removed from the at least one compartment and configured to determine when the second item has been removed from the at least one compartment. In one embodiment, the second item is predicted using a machine learning algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: Nuro, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Nan Ransohoff
  • Patent number: 10566088
    Abstract: Systems, methods, beds, supports surfaces and machine readable medium for associating beds and support surface of a healthcare facility are disclosed. A surface association system for a healthcare facility may comprise a plurality of beds. The system may further comprise a computing device and a plurality of support surfaces to be placed upon beds of the plurality of beds. The computing device may associate a support surface of the plurality of support surfaces with a bed of the plurality of beds. The computing device may make the association based upon status data received from the plurality of beds and the plurality of support surfaces. The support surface and/or bed to be associated may initiate a surface association request. The computing device, in response to the surface association request, may request performance of one or more actions on the bed and/or support surface to be associated to identify the bed and/or support surface from the beds and support surfaces of the healthcare facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig A. McNeely, Carl W. Riley, Keith A. Huster, Irvin J. Vanderpohl, III, Patricia A. Glidewell, David Ferguson, Simeon Zhao, Daleep Bhatia
  • Publication number: 20200039465
    Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a conveyance system and a compartment coupled to the conveyance system. The conveyance system autonomously drives the autonomous robotic vehicle between one or more storage locations and one or more delivery locations. The compartment receives one or more items stored at the one more storage locations. The compartment includes a temperature control module configured to maintain the compartment within a predetermined temperature range to provide temperature control for the one or more items as the conveyance system drives between the one or more storage locations and the one or more delivery locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff
  • Patent number: 10521684
    Abstract: A device comprising a media validation platform for identifying and detecting defects on a media disc is provided. The media validation platform may include: a media transport system including a guide portion including a cushion medium and a drive portion including a belt drive for conveying a media disc along a path of motion through the media validation platform; a slot providing an opening to the media validation platform and a guide to introduce the media disc to the media transport system; a quality control station comprising a light source, a light diffuser, and a camera for measuring an intensity of light from the light source passing through the light diffuser and a media layer of the at least one media disc; and a media identification station comprising a scanner assembly, the scanner assembly adapted to obtain data from a bar code of the at least one media disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Game Changer Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Alan R. Wolf
  • Patent number: 10507787
    Abstract: Provided herein is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles for containing, securing, and delivering at least one of a first item and at least one of a second item after a customer places an order for a first item, operating autonomously or semi-autonomously, and a fleet management module for coordination of the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Nuro, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Nan Ransohoff
  • Patent number: 10486640
    Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a conveyance system and a compartment coupled to the conveyance system. The conveyance system autonomously drives the autonomous robotic vehicle between one or more grocery storage locations and one or more delivery locations. The compartment receives one or more grocery items stored at the one more grocery storage locations. The compartment includes a temperature control module configured to maintain the compartment within a predetermined temperature range to provide temperature control for the one or more grocery items as the conveyance system drives between the one or more grocery storage locations and the one or more delivery locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: NURO, INC.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff
  • Publication number: 20190258981
    Abstract: A system and a method for determining and visualizing compliance data for an organization is discussed. A data fabric module receives an input feed of compliance data for compliance systems, an input feed of entity data that includes facility-specific information and an input feed of external data including social media posts regarding the organization. The compliance data is stored into one or more databases. Key performance indicators are derived by the data fabric module from the received data and are displayed on a dashboard user interface configured to display time-based visual indicators based on location within the organization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Rehan Sira, David Ferguson
  • Patent number: 10328769
    Abstract: Provided herein is a system for precise delivery of an item to a consumer by an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle. The system performs image recognition algorithms to detect a primary entrance, navigate from a street address to the primary entrance, and to validate the customer upon delivery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: NURO, INC.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff